Hello and thank you for visiting AikiWeb, the
world's most active online Aikido community! This site is home to
over 22,000 aikido practitioners from around the world and covers a
wide range of aikido topics including techniques, philosophy, history,
humor, beginner issues, the marketplace, and more.

If you wish to join in the discussions or use the other advanced
features available, you will need to register first. Registration is
absolutely free and takes only a few minutes to complete so sign up today!

無知愚昧 [むちぐまい: MUCHIGUMAI] unenlightened, in the darkest ignorance, not knowing from A to B

VS

無知蒙昧 ● むちもうまい ● MUCHIMOUMAI

むちもうまい
EDICT (1 entry)

無知蒙昧 [むちもうまい: MUCHIMOUMAI] unenlightened, in the darkest ignorance

Not knowing from A to B is the special Beebe twist!!

Not everyone is astute enough to detect the subtle yet delectable difference between these two. Not even Dante dared plumb the depths that true Beebe's proudly call home!

Greed? Yes! Hatred? Yes! Ignorance? Nope! (In defense of Dante some may assert that heresy is the equivalent of ignorance, but we Beebe's are quick to point out that one can't be a heretic not knowing from A to B!)

By the way, it has been asserted that not knowing from A to B was the original cause for the name "Beebe" (of old English origin BTW) to be first brought into use, as a sort of identifier.

It would lose it's charm and attraction, but perhaps would be so much more simpler if we here in the US just used English.

Shannon

Thank you.

On the other hand, think how dull Aikiweb would become, without all the discussion about the 'real' meaning of the Japanese terms used: what is the role of a sempai in a dojo, or whether Sensei really means 'teacher'.

I had a discussion with Yamada Yoshimitsu Shihan in Tokyo recently. I do not think I am breaking any confidences when I state that the recent loss of two of his friends was a big wrench for him. Someone he could pick up the phone and talk to, whenever he felt like it, was no longer around to listen and respond. We were speaking in English, but he referred to Nobuyoshi Tamura as his sempai. Of course, I knew exactly what he meant, but I think this is because I have lived here for such a long time and have encountered the word in its original context so many times.

But language is a living thing and cannot really be bound by rules. Of course, every language has semantics, syntax and phonology, which help to determine the degree to which someone is talking sense or nonsense. But, what is sometimes overlooked is that virtually every language borrows from, steals from, and donates to, other languages. So it might be that sempai is being anglicized in US English, to an extent not found elsewhere.